Ignition apparatus



Nav. 3, 1925. '1,560,247

A. A. KENT IGNITION APPARATUS Filed July 16, 1925 INVENTOR.

lmw- "BY 1. ATIORNEY.

Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

UNITED lSTATES ARTHUR ATWATER KENT, OF ARDMORE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IGNITION APPARATUS.

lApplication filed July 1 6, 1923. Serial No. 651,713.

T 0 @ZZ whom t may concer/n.'

Be it known that I, ARTHUR Afrunirnn KENT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ardmore, county of Montgomery,

' and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ignition apparatus, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines such as employedupon motor vehicles and in other relations; and more particularly, my invention relates to the structure of the distributor cap and the co-acting casing for enclosing ignition timing structure.

In accordance with my invention, the cap and casing are provided with three coacting surfaces, one of which joins and is preferably substantially at right angles with the other two, for effecting a joint between cap and casing which will resist entry of moisture or water, particularly when the apparatus is subjectedto rain, or to water incident to the washing of motor cars.

Further in accordance with my invention, the cap is provided with a recess in which engages a lug on the casing, preferably to locate the cap in position, the recess preferably being formed, at least in part, in an internal enlargement or boss integral with the cap, and the recess having preferably a width materially greater than the thickness of the aforesaid lug to facilitate placing and location of the cap upon the casing.

My invention resides in features of cap and. casing structure of the character hereinafter described and claimed.

This application is in part a continuation of my applications Serial No. 482,074, filed July 2, 1921, and Serial No. 683,281, led December 29, 1923, which latter has been abandoned in favor hereof.

For an illustration of one of the various forms my invention may take, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, on the line 11 of F ig. Q, showing a cap and casing structure in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the casin with the cap removed.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the cap.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view, on enlarged scale, taken on the line 4,-4 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, on enlarged scale, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view `of the cap.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the casing.

Referring to the drawing, 1 is a cylindrical metallic casing having a hub which may be integral with the casing 1, or, as indicated, the casing 1 may be a die casting of suitable alloy molded or cast upon the hub Q. The hub 2 is supported in the member 3, a lever a, clamped to the hub 2, serving to rotate the casing 1 for manually advancing or retarding the ignition.

Extending through and having a bearing within the hub 2 is a shaft k5, upon which is carried and rotatable the sleeve (i, which may be automatically advanced or retarded by a centrifugal governor, not shown. The sleeve 6 is provided also with a cam 7 for controlling the movable contact of the current-interrupting mechanism, not shown. Carried by the sleeve 6 is the rotor `or rotatable distributor block 8, of insulating material, having the spring contact 9 engaging with the stationary contact 10 in Velectrical communication with the metallic insert 11 molded in the boss 12 integral with the cap 13, molded of insulating material, such as condensite, bakelite or the like. The rotor 8 carries the terminal 14, in electrical communication with the spring 9, the terminal 1st rotating past the stationary distributor inserts or contacts 15 molded in the bosses 1G integral with the cap 13, all as well understood in the art.

The casing 1 has the circumferentially extending annular flange 17, whose upper surface 18 is engaged by the surface 19 at the lower edge of the cap 13. The casing 1 has the upwardly extending cylindrical surface 20, with which engages the surface 21 on the inside of the annular cap flange 2:9., having the aforesaid surface 19. The` top end surface 23 of the casing is engaged by the surface 24 on the cap 13. Accordingly, the casing 1 is provided with the two horizontal surfaces 18 and 23, joined by the surface Q0, preferably, as indicated, substantially at right angles lto the surfaces 18 and 23. The cap 13 has the complementary horizontal surfaces 19 and 24 joined by the substantially vertical surface 21, and registering and contacting, respectively, with the casing surfaces 18, 2O and 23. The joint formed `between cap and casing is, therefore, of Z- form, effecting not only a long path for traverse of water or moisture, but a circuitous or broken path involving two changes in direction. This structure has been found most effective in preventing entry of moisture or water into the interior of the casing 1 or cap 13, and decidedly more eective than the structures involving but one or two surfaces on the cap engaging with one or two surfaces upon the casing.

Extending upwardly from the upper surface 23 of the casing 1 is the lug 25 extending into the recess 26 in the cap 13, the recess being of a vertical depth slightly greater than the vertical height of the lug 25, which, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 5, has

considerable length circumferentially of the casing 1. The recess is formed, at least in part, by and in the boss, pretuberance or extension V27 molded integral with the cap A13, and disposed at or in radial alignment with one of the distributor insert terminals 15. The insulating material lrL covers the lower end of terminal 15 and is integral with the boss 27 and cap 13. The radial width of the recess or pocket 26 is preferably substantially greater than the thickness of the lug 25, to facilitate placing the cap 13 thereover.

The cap may be held to the casing 1 by any suitable means, for example, by. a spring hook 28 pivotedat 29 to the casing 1 and engaging in recesses 30, disposed between adjacent terminals 15, in opposite `sides of the cap 13, which on its interior has the bosses 30a forming inner walls of recesses 30.

vWhat I claim is:

1. A distributor cap having a surface at its open end, a second surface spaced axially of the cap from said first named surface, a

third surface connecting said surfaces, said three surfaces adapted to co-act with a casing to form a Z-shaped joint, said cap having a recess in -said second surface adapted to receive a lug on the casing.

2. A distributor cap of molded insulating material having at its open end a surface adapted to co-act with a casing surface, said cap having an integral internal prot-uberance having a recess adapted to receive a lug on the co-acting casing, said recess having a radial width materially in excess of the thickness of said lug.

3. Ignition timing apparatus comprising a casing adapted to enclose ignition timing structure, said casing having a transversely extending end surface, a distributor cap having at its open end a surface co-actingV with the outer side wall surface of said casing and a second surface coacting with said end surface of saidl casing, said cap having on its interior an integral boss, said cap having a recess at said boss in its said second surface, and a lug projecting from said end surface of said casing into said recess.

4. A distributor cap of molded insulating material, a circular series of insertterminals molded therein, an integral boss on the interior of said cap in substantial radial alignment with one of said insert terminals, said cap having a lug-receiving recess at said boss in a casing-engaging surface at the open end of said cap.

5. A distributor cap of molded insulating material, a circular series of insert terminals molded therein, insulating material integral with said cap extending over the inner end of each of said insert terminals, a boss integral with said insulating material and said cap disposed substantially in radial alignment with one of said insert terminals, said cap having a lug-receiving recess at said boss in a casing-engaging surface at the open end of said cap, and a second loessy on the interior of said cap disposed between said tirs-t named boss and the next adjacent insert terminal, said cap having on its exterior a holder' recess at said second boss.

G. A distributor cap of molded insulating material having at its open end entersecting surfaces one of which co-acts with the end surface and another of which co-acts withV of said insert terminals and terminating ad-V jacent said one of'said surfaces of said cap,

said cap having in said one of said surfaces at said boss a lug-receiving recess.

7. A distributor cap having at its open end two surfaces spaced from eachother longitudinally and joined by a third surface, said three surfaces adapted to co-act with similarly disposed surfaces of a casing to effect a Z-sha-ped joint, said cap having in one of said first named surfaces a recess adapted to receive a lug on the casing and bounded by excess material extending radially inward of said cap beyond the casing-engaging portion of said one of said surfaces, said cap having on its exterior a holder recess and bounded by excess ma- ,Y

terial extending radially inward of said cap beyond the casing-engaging portion of said one of said surfaces.

8. A distributor cap having a surface at its open end, a flange adjacent the open engl of said cap and having a second surface spaced axially of the cap from said firstnamed surface, said caphaving on its exterior a holder recess terminating adjacent said flange.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 13th day of July,

ARTHUR ATWATER KENT. 

